PATTING JAYA: Defending champion Shahril Izzuwan Mohd Noor will have to pull out all the stops in Round 8 of the Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship at Stadium Hang Jebat in Malacca this weekend if he wants to stay in the hunt for his second consecutive CP115 title.

Last month, the Petronas Syntium Moto Yamaha AHM rider finished sixth in Kluang (Round 7) just behind main title contender Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa of Pachie Yuzy Honda Racing.

The two riders are leading the championship standings and are separated by a mere eight points. Shahril leads with 101 points while Amirul has 93.

“I approached Kluang with a play-safe strategy because I am not good with technical tracks. This year, I realised I needed to take bigger risks to match the frontrunners. Our machine is no at its optimum level so I did my best to stay within the points and be as close as possible to Amirul,” said Shahril.

Determined to prove he still has a lot to offer, Shahril intends to make full use of this weekend’s race to extend his lead at the top.

“I hope to get on the podium again, preferably with a win. Eight points is not a big gap and even Ahmad Abdul Kadir of Apido Yamaha Boon Kui Racing is only 13 points behind. It will be a battle to the end,” said the Penangite.

“We are in the final stages of the Championship and all the riders are doing their best to improve on their standings. The Malacca round will definitely be challenging.”

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